Fifteen Years, Then A Photo

splashing cold water on my face, my reflec

e etched with concern. "Are you s

if he even knew he was doing it anymore. If the line between the loving husband an

e cleared my head. The nausea subsi

r," I said, as he p

n my knee. "Because I still

id. "Let' s do su

nted but nodded.

sparked in my mind. A

u' re right. We need more time together. Why don' t you take to

panicked. A whole day. A whole day

, Eli. I have that b

I said, my voice

Okay," he said finally, forcin

antly. I waited until his breathing was de

sk. He used the same password for everything. Our a

his deleted items folder. He was

as in his office, perched on his desk

her thigh. "When are you going to leave her? S

t I could hear his l

he pain was a distant echo now. All I f

d over in his sleep, one arm flung acro

murmured,

I said, my vo

d settled ba

zing at 6 a.m. It buzzed again. And a

er and grabbing it from the nightstan

joining bathroom to take the call. He

off... No, you can' t come over... Because Eliana is here,

oking annoyed. I saw him slip the

sked, feignin

d. "Stupid emergen

e smell of coffee and bacon filled the hous

food. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, fre

"You do so much around here. Maybe we should hire a house

replace me.

like taking care of our home.

he food, my a

him over my coffee cup.

course, we' re okay. Why

ason,"

ook my hand. His was warm and st

. "I love you. You know that, right? I would never

rnest blue. He was a phenomenal li

efore I betraye

ost l

and away. I stood up and walked to the

eved, the conv

I asked, casually, "So, where

"Your..

turning to face him. "You

lights. He had nothing. H